Our Scientists

Research Summary

Yi Zhang is interested in how epigenetic modification-mediated dynamic changes in chromatin structure affect gene expression, cell lineage commitment, stem cell pluripotency and self-renewal, brain reward and addiction, and the development and treatment of human diseases.

Epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation and covalent histone modifications, play an important role in regulating chromatin dynamics and therefore have a significant impact on gene expression. My lab is interested in how epigenetic modification-mediated dynamic changes in chromatin structure affect gene expression, cell lineage commitment, stem cell pluripotency, and stem cell self-renewal, as well as epigenetic mechanisms of drug addiction. I am also interested in how misregulation of epigenetic factors contributes to the development of diseases such as diabetes, neurological diseases, and cancer, as well as the development of cancer drug resistance. My long-term goal is to apply what we have learned in basic research to the study of human diseases.

Over the past decade, my lab has worked on a number of projects that span many aspects of epigenetics and chromatin modifications, including (1) the ATP-dependent nucleosome-remodeling and histone deacetylase complex NuRD; (2) various histone methyltransferases, such as EZH2, hDOT1, ESET, SET7, SET8, and PRMT1; (3) various histone demethylases, such as the JmjC-family proteins, JHDM1A, JHDM2A, JHDM3A, RBP2, PLU-1, JMJD3, UTX, and Lid; (4) histone H2A ubiquitin E3 ligase PRC1; and (5) the Ten Eleven Translocation (Tet) family of 5-methylcytosine dioxygenases. The general approach to these projects involved biochemical purification and functional characterization of these enzymes in vitro and in cell culture, followed by biological characterization in mouse models. The proof-of-concept studies have uncovered a link between several of these enzymes and various diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and cancer.

Building upon our strength in protein biochemistry, my lab has recently broadened our research interests to include epigenetic mechanisms in embryonic development, stem cell reprogramming, drug addiction, and the development of cancer drug resistance.

Current lines of investigation include the following:

Dynamic DNA methylation and the underlying mechanisms

Epigenetic and chromatin changes and their molecular basis in preimplantation embryos